ESA Arctic Weather Satellite

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite is an initial prototype mission that aims to demonstrate the usefulness of radiometric measurements to improve weather forecasts in the Arctic region and globally.

The final solution would involve a full constellation of satellites to provide more frequent measurement, something that cannot be achieved by the larger geostationary satellites already in use to depict the areas.

OHB Sweden is the mission prime contractor for the Arctic Weather Satellite, providing the satellite platform and system integration. AAC Omnisys, part of the AAC Clyde Space group, have delivered a cutting-edge weather sensor payload to OHB Sweden which has been successfully integrated into their InnoSat platform. AAC Clyde Space has been contracted to deliver the Sirius command and data handling units and the Starbuck power system, with mission specific customization.

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) demonstration mission aims to simultaneously improve weather forecasts in the Arctic region and globally, while enhancing our understanding of climate change. The European Space Agency’s Arctic Weather mission will provide frequent coverage of Earth for improved nowcasting and numerical weather prediction. The program aims to build on existing Arctic monitoring satellites, such as MetOp and MetOp SG, and provide precise, short-term weather forecasts for the Arctic region.

This 120kg AWS satellite, planned to launch 2024, is the forerunner of a potential constellation of satellites that would supply an almost constant stream of temperature and humidity data from every location on Earth. Meteorologists will also use the mission to improve weather forecasts around the world.

AAC Omnisys has developed and built an innovative scientific weather payload in Gothenburg specifically for this mission, a passive microwave radiometer, which will provide temperature and humidity measurements of the atmospheric layers, this data will be used for Numerical Weather Prediction and Nowcasting.

OHB Sweden is prime contractor for the mission which also uses OHB Sweden’s InnoSat platform. The entire AWS industrial team includes 31 companies from 12 countries. The Arctic Weather Satellite is funded under a contract with the European Space Agency under the Earth Watch program.

ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite has passed its environmental test campaign June 14 2024. The satellite will be shipped back to Sweden for a last few checks before it is packed up ready for shipment to the Vandenberg launch site in California in the US.

The satellite has been declared fit for liftoff and its life in the harsh environment of space.

The set of final tests were carried out at IABG in Germany and included positioning the satellite on a shaker to simulate the vibrations it will have to endure during liftoff, and enclosing it in a thermal vacuum chamber where it was exposed to the extreme swings in temperature that it will experience as it orbits Earth.

AAC Clyde Space is also supplying a high-performance STARBUCK power system from its range of microsatellite products, and a Sirius Command and Data Handling System, both designed and built at its Uppsala, Sweden, site.

The STARBUCK PCDU is is a modular power conditioning and distribution unit. It’s unique design allows it to be configured to mission and spacecraft needs. The unit has multiple inbuilt protections and combines COTS and radiation hardened components to optimize the reliability and performance characteristics of the ITAR free system.

The Sirius Command and Data Handling System has been flight proven across a myriad of missions, consistently and reliably helping deliver mission objectives. Utilizing SpaceWire onboard the main data bus for high bandwidth and on-board data transfer, the Sirius system provides extremely high performance processing including the ability to update software while in orbit via telecommands.

AWS Delivered its First Images, Capturing Storm Boris

Just a month after its launch, the ESA Arctic Weather Satellite delivered its first images, notably capturing Storm Boris, a storm wreaking havoc across central Europe.

Read full ESA Article here

This second animation, which uses data acquired on 5 September, provides a broader view of humidity, represented as brightness temperature, and captures another storm over the Arctic, between Greenland and Svalbard. This animation shows humidity at the altitude of 1 km only, but combines data from several of the Arctic Weather Satellite’s passes over the region that day.

The ESA Arctic Weather Satellite has become a flagship project for us, charting an exciting development path by combining the AAC Omnisys weather sensors with our classic core avionics. We are proud to be able to take such a central role in this project

AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes

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